Toko Week 3
by SpyralHax
Summary: Collections of drabbles if the ones of my length can count as such for the Toko pairing. Day 1 - Gambling, Day 2 - Beach, Day 3 - Hair Piece, Day 4 - Boat, Day 5 - Darkness, Day 6 - Heat, Day 7 - Scars.
1. Day 1 Gambling

**Toko Week 3 – Day 1: Gambling**

**Rating: K+**

**Ah, well, after reading Liooness' entry for this most recent Toko week, I felt a bit of inspiration to give it a try myself. Since writing from prompts isn't my usual habit, I'm not too sure how these will come out, but hopefully you'll all enjoy them to some extent. Here we get a high school age AU type setting, beginning with a harmless game of cards. That said, enjoy the Toko.

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"Ugh, this is do boring," Toph complained, throwing her arms in exaggerated frustration over the back edge of the small wooden chair. Ebony bangs swayed gently across her porcelain features as she listened to the now familiar sounds of anguish and defeat from her group of friends.

"I wish I could say it's boring, but I can never win," Sokka complained right back, looking at the small tally of marks he had made on the table in front of him. Inwardly the young man groaned, his mind running around trying to figure out how the blind girl was able to win so often at a game she should be lousy at.

"I wish Zuko would hurry up and get here," Aang opined, his arms stretching out over the green felt atop the table, his fingers making a small mess of the glossy cards scattered about. He and Sokka caught one another's eyes, before sighing in unison. Their frustration brought a snicker of amusement from the younger girl to Aang's right, the usual cackle of superior laughter that they all recognized quite well by this point.

"I still think she's cheating," Katara said venomously, her own frustration apparent. Toph's laugh of excitement died as she leaned towards the girl across the table from her, left brow raised in challenge at the older girl.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right. I could swear you just said I was cheating, but that can't possibly be right," Toph said sarcastically, inwardly hoping to get a rise out of the darker skinned girl. The tension between the group of friends took on a palpability, Aang and Sokka looking from one another to their female friends.

"Now, Toph, I'm sure Katara's just frustrated," Sokka supplied, before turning to his younger sister, "right, sis?" he tried, hoping to defuse the situation. The girl glared icy daggers at the older boy, before pointing her piercing gaze towards the blind girl across from her.

"No, I'm accusing her of cheating. There's no way someone could win twenty five straight hands without some kind of help," she explained, tossing her most recent hand into the center of the table as she stood from her seat. Aang tried to play peacemaker as usual, watching as the sometimes confrontational girls each brought themselves into standing positions.

He could almost feel the electricity between the pair of girls, finding his voice growing lost in the garble of shouts and insults between the girls. Toph really was unnaturally good at pretty much every game that involved direct competition, and he too had wondered just how she managed it. But he wouldn't have gone so far as to say she had cheated.

"You want to step outside, sugar queen? I may be blind, but I can still take you," the shorter girl challenged, her red t-shirt rustling just a bit as she cracked her knuckles, taunting grin etched firmly in place as she moved to step away from the table.

"Bring it on, mud slug!" Katara challenged, her sea blue blouse straining against her slender frame as she pulled her arms into a similarly defensive posture.

"Come on, guys, we don't need to do this," Aang said, looking to Sokka for some support, emotional if not actually getting involved. His hopes were dashed as the tanned boy looked away, shrugging his shoulders as he traced small patterns on the edge of the table. 'Ugh, where is Zuko when you need him?' the bald boy asked inwardly, knowing that the elder member of their little group would provide some distraction.

The boy's prayers seemed to be answered as he heard the front door of his apartment creak open slowly.

"Sorry we're late, but Suki just wouldn't let it go," Zuko apologized, his voice cutting straight through the palpable tension in the group. Katara and Toph both settled as they focused on the source of the voice.

"You make it sound like it was totally my fault," Suki's voice followed Zuko's, a distinct hint of displeasure on her voice as the door clicked shut behind the pair of teens.

"Well, you're the one who didn't want to quit until you got the lead," he challenged back, his voice sounding over their well timed footsteps. Aang's ears perked a bit at the sound, wondering how it always seemed like their feet were in such good pace.

"Yeah, yeah. But I'll beat you for sure next time," the auburn haired girl said teasingly, nudging the older boy in the arm with her elbow as she passed him. The girl's face seemed to be glowing with the after effects of distinct physical exertion, Zuko's face similarly flushed.

"So, who won today?" Toph asked, her voice taking on a subtly strange tone that none present seemed to notice. Just a slight drop in her volume, her words muffled just a bit more than was usual for the cocky, arrogant young girl. Suki's face fell a bit as she looked to the young blind girl, before looking painfully back towards Zuko.

"He just got lucky that I wasn't feeling well today. And he only won by a few points," the girl said, planting a soft kiss on her boyfriend's lips before taking position between him and Katara.

"Since when is twenty points a few?" Zuko asked seriously, earning a low grown of frustration from the younger girl, who found welcome solace in Sokka's strong embrace.

"Wow, twenty? You must have had some serious cramping to do so badly," Toph teased, causing the older girl's face to contort into an expression of frustration and anger.

"I'm sure it was something like that," Sokka said, his protective instincts taking over as he reluctantly pulled his arms from around his long time girl friend.

"Sure it was. So, I hope we didn't miss anything?" Zuko asked, his good eyebrow raised as he removed his coat, resting the crimson fabric against the back of the last remaining chair. He looked from one teen to another as they each moved to give him a place to set his seat. The young man sighed heavily as he leaned into the well cushioned chair, his golden eyes drifting up as he felt someone staring at him.

Catching the sightless gaze of the young blind girl, he shook his head. He must have just been paranoid after meeting his sister a few days prior. She always did know just how to push his buttons and make him doubt even his own basic sanity.

"Oh, nothing, just Katara and Toph about to come to blows. Might have even ended up in some mud wrestling," Sokka joked, earning a jab of his girlfriend's elbow, followed immediately by an apology for his poor joke. Zuko groaned at his friend's bad taste, hoping he never put his own foot that far into his own mouth again. Moving his eyes a bit, he watched the reactions of the two girls in question, each looking down a bit embarrassedly at the mention of such an act.

Sokka was always the easiest one to read in the group.

"So, I figure Toph was winning again, and Katara got frustrated?" Suki suggested, the subtle tensing of the tan skinned girl's shoulders giving the appropriate admittance. "Guess she's on fire again today," Suki said, almost admitting defeat before things even got started.

"That's right. But then again, when am I not on fire?" Toph asked rhetorically, before breaking out into an undignified bout of laughter.

"What about when I beat you at bowling a few weeks ago?" Zuko asked, not liking to hear anyone laugh in such a way, especially a young woman. Reminded him too much of his sister. The maniacal laughter died down, and he could feel the young blind girl glaring at him using her sightless jade eyes.

"I'm sorry, I must have been thinking of when I owned you in soccer last week," Toph said, never one to back down from a challenge. Unfortunately, Zuko shared that particular personality trait. He felt his eyebrows narrowing towards the younger girl as she smirked triumphantly, feeling like he would explode as he recalled the events in question.

"Too bad you can't ever win at basketball," he countered, his face lightening to a smirk as their facial expressions seemed to almost instantly flip. Sokka, Aang and Katara each watched the heat rising between the two most accomplished competitors in their little group. They were all riveted to the scene at hand, knowing that Zuko was usually the best bet to keep Toph in line.

"You trying to say something, Sparky?" Toph challenged, clasping her hand to the edge of the small table for the second time in the span of an hour. Zuko countered her movement by leaning in towards the center of the table, his golden eyes narrowed as he gazed at the feisty girl.

"Just that you're not totally invincible, Shorty," he said, raven locks falling in front of his molten eyes, coloring the world around him just a shade darker as suddenly his black tanktop felt entirely too small for his body. It was strange, how easily Toph seemed to make him lose it. It wasn't the same kind of frustration from his sister, but something else entirely. Something he couldn't really put his finger on entirely.

"Better than you, Zuko," Toph said, catching everyone's attention. Rare indeed were the occasions that Toph used someone's name directly. It usually meant either she was incredibly annoyed with the person in question, or she felt incredibly close to that person. But Zuko didn't quite pick up on that fact, too focused was he on not losing to the younger girl.

"The results seem to say something different, Toph," he countered, his nostrils flaring as he fought to keep his breath relatively in check. He still felt a little fatigue from his little pick up game against Suki that afternoon.

"Then maybe we should settle this once and for all," the shorter girl suggested, planting her bare feet against the smooth beige tile of Aang's floor. Zuko watched as she pushed her chair backwards, as though she were getting ready to fight.

"Sounds like a plan. But how about we make it interesting?" he suggested, catching the girl's attention. A barely noticeable smile crept across her lips at the thought, causing Aang and the others to groan inwardly at the mention.

"Interesting, you say? Personally, I think beating your arrogant butt would be interesting enough, but I don't think that's what you meant."

"Well, since I'm the one who is going to win, obviously not. I mean a wager," he said, crossing his well toned arms in front of his chest as he pushed himself away from his seat, staring directly into the endless pools of forest green in the girl's eyes.

"A wager, huh? But what are you going to bet? Money's really no fun," Toph said, to which Zuko agreed. Both were pretty well off, so money lost its inherent value barring the use of huge sums of it. He thought for a moment, before being interrupted.

"How about the loser has to do whatever the winner says for a month?" Sokka suggested most unhelpfully. Toph and Zuko thought it over, considering the positives and negatives. Admittedly, they were probably two of the most stubborn people in town, if not the world at large. So to be subjugated to another person would be utterly humiliating. And humiliation was always fun.

"I'm game if you are, Princess," Toph said, her lips curling into a dangerous smile as she crossed her arms.

"You're going to regret it, squirt," Zuko responded. The two hesitantly reached out, closing the deal with a shaking of hands before storming out of the small apartment in unison. Sokka and the others looked to one another, sighing in desperation as they listened to the listless wavering of the door accompanied by the now barely audible sound of heavy footsteps as the two hot headed teens stormed off to settle that week's bet.

"You think they know we're on to them by now?" Suki asked, earning a shake of the head from the rest of the group remaining.

"I don't think so. They really should just make it official, since everyone knows already," Sokka continued, gathering the scattered cards. "So, who's in?" he asked, before they resumed their card game, minus the irritating younger girl to beat them senseless.

"Some people just have a hard time getting that stuff out in the open," Aang said, casting a glance out of the corner of his eye towards his girlfriend, smiling as the girl blushed.

"I guess. But do you think we need to worry? I mean, one of these days they're going to get caught, and it'll be big trouble," Katara suggested, to which the others blinked in unison a few times.

"Naah, it'll be fine," Sokka excused, causing the others to shrug their shoulders.

Zuko and Toph could definitely take care of themselves, after all.


	2. Day 2 Beach

**Toko Week 3: Day 2 - Beach**

**Rating: T (more for safety than content)**

**Prompt 2 for Toko Week. This time we find our gang reunited a few years after the war, and things definitely change with time. A bit more grown up than the previous one, but hopefully nothing too bad. Again, prompts are not my usual forte, but I hope this one is a little better than the previous. Enjoy.

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"You want to WHAT!" an utterly exasperated Fire Lord asked, watching the group of heroes in front of him, his brain pounding inside of his head to escape.

"I want to throw a beach party, since you ruined the last one we had," Sokka continued, putting on a face that showed he was not scared of the sudden rise in volume of the Fire Lord's voice. But Katara snickered a bit as she noticed him move ever so slightly away, his body coming to rest a little bit behind Toph.

"Ugh. And? Why do I have to be involved?" Zuko asked, pinching at the bridge of his nose, elbows resting squarely on the armrests of the chair upon which he was sitting. A moment of silence passed between the group who had come to call on the Fire Lord, as though the thought hadn't really occurred to any of them.

"Well, um, none of us really has such nice property right near the beach," Sokka continued, gaining a little more confidence as the moodier teen's voice dropped back to normal volume. Straightening the blue tunic encasing his still wiry frame, the tan skinned boy took a deep breath, figuring he needed to be ready to explain himself further.

"But Toph's family is rich, I'm sure they have plenty of good real estate," Zuko pointed out smirking inwardly as his friend's finger hung idly in the air, like the point had caught the Water Tribe warrior completely off guard.

"He's got you there, Sokka," Katara said, the recognizable playful bitterness on her voice as she rolled her shoulders gently.

"Hey, just because my family is rich, doesn't mean I want to be using them as a crutch," Toph spoke up, her voice booming off the nearly sparkling walls of the comfortable meeting room, booming as they reached the Fire Lord's ears.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Zuko countered, brushing a few strands of raven colored hair from in front of his eyes as he pulled his fingers from their task around the bridge of his nose. Leaning back in the high backed chair, he watched the others kind of look to one another for what to do next.

"Look, Sokka's right and you did ruin the last one we tried to have, so you owe us," Toph continued, pointing a finger directly at the moody young man, challenging smirk on her face even visible beneath the long black bangs.

Mint green eyes sparkled in the flickering lamplight along with well maintained teeth, the obvious effects of a privileged upbringing.

"But surely one of you has something else in mind," Zuko tried, thinking desperately of a way to get out of the situation. While not usually his mentality, at this particular moment a party was the farthest thing from his mind. The wounds were still fresh on his heart from Mai's sudden realization that he was not the one for her. He shuddered a bit at the thought of the somewhat dull, emotionless Mai travelling the world with her new soulmate, Ty Lee.

"We all thought about it, and this year we decided it was your turn to host the little anniversary get together, so just suck it up and get the place prepared at Ember Island," Toph challenged, propping her dirty feet on the finely polished ebony desk, the metallic anklets clanging against the furnished wood as she tilted the chair she was in back a bit.

The looks on the faces of the others seemed to echo the youngest member's sentiments, and the young man sighed heavily, his head drooping forward in resigned defeat. "Guess I don't have much choice. You guys can stay here for a few days until things are ready," he said, his voice echoing a sentiment far from joviality. But the others were too busy planning their activities to really notice.

But Toph, with her ability to detect even the small changes in a person's body noticed an unusual heaviness in Zuko's body as he excused himself from the table. A little pinch tweaked her chest as she felt him trudge away, her lips curling downward a bit into a subtle frown. "Guess he's still not over it…" she murmured, raven toned locks tickling her smoothed porcelain skin as she too let her head fall a bit.

The next week passed quickly for the group of heroes, save for one. None had seen much of Zuko as they had awaited the preparations for their makeshift party, and had begun to grow concerned for the young Fire Lord.

"What do you think is wrong with Zuko?" Katara asked in her usual almost sisterly concern, earning shrugs of almost indifference from Sokka and Suki, and a worried expression from Aang. Toph had a pretty good idea what was bothering him, a sneer coming to her face as she felt the urge to just tell him to get over it.

"Okay guys, everything's ready," the voice of the young man in question echoed through the large clearing, drawing the group's attention to him. Jaws nearly dropped at the unusually pale state of the man's skin, his eyes lined by dark circles.

"Zuko, what the hell happened to you?" Sokka asked as the five teens made their way towards the Fire Lord, his trademark royal robes replaced with much more comfortable garb. Simple red shorts hung from his waist down towards his knees, a small extra patch showing the usual Fire Nation symbol tied around the waist.

"Just had to catch up on some work before this party. Things are pretty busy around here, after all," Zuko explained, a loud yawn escaping his lips beyond the hand he had clasped to his mouth. Glares of blame accompanied looks of guilt from the travelers, directed mostly at the orchestrator of the little outing.

"Sorry, Zuko, it really didn't occur to us," Aang apologized for the group, his head bowed in remorse as he stared down at the ground. Zuko simply waved it off, a forced smile coming to his lips as he exclaimed that it was nothing major.

Reluctantly accepting Zuko's agreement, the group gathered atop the large animal that had served as their transportation for their time in the war. Aang took his position at the reins, Katara at his side as the rest gathered in the large saddle. Zuko sat at the edge farthest from the head of the beast, his eyes nearly welding themselves shut as sleep threatened to claim him.

"No sleeping, Sparky," Toph's commanding voice sounded in his right ear, accompanied by a swift punch to the arm. Golden eyes flashed open, widened as one looks when they try and force sleep away.

"Ouch. You didn't have to hit me, you know?" Zuko said, eyes narrowed as the girl simply shrugged her shoulders. As the surprise of the situation wore off, the young man found himself really noticing the girl for the first time. He was aware of the presence of the others, but he found himself transfixed by the form of the girl at his right.

The usual beige coverings she had worn for so long had been replaced with a smooth looking emerald green bikini, which seemed to accentuate the curves he hadn't even noticed she had begun to develop. A transparent piece of cloth hung from her right hip, resting just below her knee. The raven locks that had always been up in a bun in his mind hung loosely down her back, stopping just at the center of her lower back.

"Is there something wrong?" Sokka asked, leaning in towards Zuko's left ear. The young firebender's heart started beating about a thousand times faster, like a child caught stealing by a parent or other authority figure.

"W-what? S-something wrong? What makes you ask that, Sokka?" Zuko stuttered, which made him mentally curse himself. He realized that the whole group was now staring intently at him, looks of confusion on their faces as he tried to calm himself down.

"Hmm. It's just that you've been staring at Toph the whole time, and not saying anything. It's really weird," Sokka explained, causing the young Fire Lord to cover his face with his right hand. Now he really wished he hadn't decided to come along.

Chancing a glance out of a crack between a pair of fingers, he thought he saw the young earth bender smiling at him. But it had vanished too quickly for him to be sure, and so he had shook it off. Since when did Toph smile anyway?

After a few more minutes, the large bison bellowed loudly as he landed upon the warm sand, the Sun soaked grains squishing between his large toes. The group's sounds of excitement echoed his sentiment as they quickly leapt from their perch atop the large beast. Zuko was the last to exit, watching the others scurry about without a care in the world.

Sokka set out a large blanket and parasol for his lover to sit under, kissing the girl on the lips before turning to the still young Avatar. "This time I won't be beaten. I've been practicing my sculpting since last time," he said in challenge, to which Aang smiled confidently.

"You're on, Sokka," he replied, earning a roll of the eyes from Katara. The young water bender watched Sokka and Aang set out their particular spots for their sculpting as she made her way over to soak in the sun next to Suki.

"Has he gotten any better?" she whispered in the older girl's ear, earning a playful giggle.

"Not really. But I can't bruise his ego too much," the auburn haired girl snickered, joining Katara in playful mocking of the young warrior's artistic "skills".

Zuko found each step its own torture, unable to remember a time that walking on sand was as tiring as it was proving to be at that moment. He watched as the Avatar and his friend mounded bunches of sand together, gradually taking on some kind of form.

"How about you, Zuko?" he was shaken from his delirium by Katara's question. He noticed Sokka and Aang temporarily stop to gaze over at him, wondering if there was going to be another competitor to their little game.

"What about me?"

"Are you going to make a sand sculpture, too?" Suki asked, picking up where the water bending girl had left off. Her red bikini seemed to cover just enough of her frame to keep Sokka from going into a jealous rage, but still offering enough space to tan effectively.

"I don't think so. You guys just have fun," Zuko responded, earning a click of mild disappointment from the two girls sunning themselves. Out of the corner of his eyes, Zuko watched Toph make her way over towards the water's edge. The gently foaming seawater lapped at her bare feet, washing around her ankles before retreating.

He found himself staring at her once more, wondering how she had managed to develop so well without anyone's noticing. Or maybe it was just that he was the one who hadn't noticed before. He was brought from his subtle staring by a weight resting on his right shoulder.

"Ah, well, that's alright, Zuko. You obviously don't want to be embarrassed by my superior skills," Sokka bragged, earning a loud chuckle from the group at large. All but Zuko, whose eyes narrowed in challenge, earning a gulp of reticence from Sokka.

"Well, I know I can't compete with your obvious superiority, but I suppose I should make the most of the trip while I'm here," he said, a dangerous smirk adorning his face, one that his sister might have used to intimidate her prey.

Katara and Suki giggled as Zuko set about gathering the requisite amounts of sand. Sokka fumed for a moment before going back to his mound of sand, mumbling about how he was going to beat Zuko. While he was sure he didn't want to just be thought a coward, Zuko really had no idea what he was going to construct.

The task seemed kind of pointless, and as he clumped sand together, he found himself again staring at the young earth bender. She seemed oddly quiet for her, still staring aimlessly out at sea. The foamy sea lapped almost hungrily at her bare feet, the near transparent green cloth wavering each time the tide rolled past her.

Zuko lost contact with the world around him, his hands aimlessly continuing their assigned task, gradually bringing a shape from the clump of sand at his side. He found himself feeling almost like a kid having a crush, looking away as he noticed Toph looking over towards him. But why was he acting like this? Sure, Toph looked alright in her swim wear. Alright, more than alright, but that wasn't any reason to stare.

"Zuko, are you done?" a voice of almost awe broke through the dumbfounded silence. Blinking a few times the young man looked towards the source of the voice, puzzlement lining his face as he noticed the onlookers that had gathered around his mound of sand.

"Done with what?" he asked, forgetting about the sand sculpture.

"Are you kidding? That of course," Sokka asked incredulously, pointing towards the human sized figure. Confusion fogging his eyes, Zuko turned towards the statue, and then immediately found his eyes widening in his head.

"I gotta say, I think Zuko wins hands down," Katara said.

"I agree. It looks just like her," Suki added, earning a nod of the head from Aang, and a drooping of the head from Sokka. He really didn't want to admit it to himself, but Zuko had really shown him up at sand sculpting. He would have to make a note not to challenge Zuko at other stuff.

"Looks like who?" Toph asked teasingly, her voice ringing softly in Zuko's ear, causing his body to shiver just a bit. Turning his head towards her, he watched as she leaned in just behind him, staring as though she were trying to see the figure.

"Oh, Toph, it looks just like you. But I wonder why he did that," Katara asked Suki and Aang, who each shrugged before heading off to start a small game of kuei ball with Sokka. Toph hunched over at Zuko's right, smirking as she could feel the flushed heat emanating from Zuko's body.

"Hmm. It does look just like me," she said, getting a vague picture of it from her sense.

"I guess," he said, leaning back into the sand.

"But why did you sculpt a figure of me?" she said, moving to face opposite him, her hand resting a short distance from his in the warm sand.

"I don't know. I didn't even realize I was doing it," he responded simply, earning a light chuckle from the formerly bratty girl at his side.

"Well, I guess the plan was a success," she joked, earning a look of confusion from the older member of their ragtag group.

"What? What plan?" Zuko asked in confusion, before feeling a burning, soft sensation on his lips. His mind nearly shut down as he felt Toph's lips pressed firmly against his, strands of two sets of raven colored hair mingling together as they sat there.

"That plan," Toph said teasingly as she pulled away from him, letting her fingers brush against his arm as she stood from her spot on the sand. As the girl made her way away from him, Zuko's mind slowly began to get back to normal.

"She's a strange one, alright," he murmured to himself, a smile creeping across his lips as he quickly leapt to his feet, his earlier tiredness forgotten. This was the second time the beach had offered him a chance to smooth his soul, and he would have to remember to thank Sokka.


	3. Day 3 Hair Piece

**Toko Week 3: Day 3 - Hair Piece**

**Rating: K**

**I am not sure if this fits the original intent of the prompt, but it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the prompt title. Younger version of the characters in a slightly AU setting. Enjoy the Toko friendship.

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In the large, lavishly decorated main bedroom of the Bei Fong residence, a pair of young children lay beneath the intricately furnished bed. They lay, prone against the ground, waiting for the girl's parents to exit the room. The sound of their breathing was thankfully drowned out by the mundane conversation from the two socialites, both children rolling their eyes as they witnessed the older people kissing before exiting the room.

Once the door had clicked shut, the pair scooted out from their hiding place, the older of the two breathing heavily as he brought himself to his feet. Brushing off the small traces of dust that had accumulated on his crimson and black robes, he looked almost angrily at the younger girl.

"Why are we in here, Toph? Your parents will kill us if they find out we were in here," Zuko all but hissed, his almost feminine ponytail swaying as he scanned the surrounding room. It looked as green as he had expected it to, and just as fancy as his house. If not more so.

"Blah, blah. That's IF they find out. Besides, you're the older one, so what are you scared of?" Toph teased, earning a low growl from the older boy. She always liked hanging out with Zuko, since he made it too easy to tease him. But he was fun otherwise, if only so she could have someone to play with who wouldn't treat her like a fragile little doll.

"You didn't answer my question. Why are we in here?" he asked, watching as the younger girl straightened her mint green robe before walking over towards him. Sometimes he forgot she was blind, as easily as she got around.

"That's easy, sparky. I've always been curious about what kind of stuff my parents keep in here, and since I can't really see it very well, you have to describe it to me," she said matter of factly, her loose bangs falling behind her ears as she stood in front of the young boy. Her tone of voice left little doubt that it was not a matter that was up for debate.

"Ugh. How do I get dragged into this stuff. Girls really are crazy," he muttered, remembering the way his sister treated him when he was at home. He wondered briefly if maybe Toph and his sister were true family. After a short snicker at the thought, Zuko felt himself being led towards the first item of exploration. With a deep sigh, he figured he may as well get the matter at hand over with.

As they walked about the room, the young royal tried his best to describe what was in the room to the young girl, who listened intently. He couldn't really imagine the world without all the colors and shapes and images in it, and so he tried to explain things so she could grasp it. After describing most of the furniture in the room, they came to a large dresser. It stood about a foot taller than Zuko's head, the finely polished wood glistening in the sunlight that streamed through the lime green curtains.

"Wow. That's a really nice dresser," he mumbled, running his fingers along the lower most drawer's surface, feeling his fingers tracing easily along the smooth surface.

"I'll take your word for it. So, what's in it?" Toph asked, catching Zuko by surprise. He really didn't think it was a good idea to snoop through Toph's parents things. That could really get him in trouble, and that was the last thing he wanted.

"We can't do that, Toph. That kind of stuff is usually private," he whispered, trying to keep his voice down despite assurances that the Bei Fongs wouldn't be back for quite some time. The younger girl to his side rolled her sightless eyes before opening the nearest dresser. Zuko cursed whatever star he was born under that made it impossible for him to go against any girl in his life.

Rummaging through the various fineries, Zuko's face drew in some confusion as he produced a near cylindrical shape, roughly six inches in length. Turning the item around, he looked it over from all possible angles, noticing that it seemed to taper off at one end. The odd item gave off an odd smell, but something told his twelve year old mind that it was something he should put back.

"Geez, your parents keep a lot of stuff in here," Zuko said, producing more strange items from the bottom drawer, describing them to the young girl as he did so. Finally he had fully rummaged through the drawer, and hoped that Toph's curiosity was satisfied. No such luck. He watched with almost helplessness as the girl reached instantly for the next drawer up.

"You worry too much, Sparky. So, what's in this one?" Toph asked. After growling his disapproval, the young boy looked into the drawer. As confused as he had been about the previous drawer, this one seemed even more mysterious.

"It looks like he has a bunch of heads of hair in here," Zuko explained, reaching in for one of the furry items. Turning it around in his hand, he wondered why there were what seemed like dead rodents in the small drawer. He watched at Toph likewise pulled one of the items out, her fingers running over the woven material with a similar look of confusion on her face.

"Grown ups are weird," she said, a smirk coming to her face as she placed the clump of hair atop her head, resting her hands upon her hips before turning towards the young royal. "What do you think, Zuko?" she asked, receiving a dead silence in response.

"Toph, I think I know what these are," Zuko said hesitantly, remembering seeing something similar on his uncle's head a long time ago.

"What are they?" Toph asked, running her fingers over the different items, realizing that each one had a slightly different texture and shape.

"They're hair piece. It's something old people wear when they start losing their hair," he explained, earning a snicker from the younger girl. Slowly the snicker turned to an infectious laugh as Zuko imagined the girl's father with a bald head of hair, and soon the pair were laughing like lunatics.

"Wow. I never knew my father was so concerned with his appearance," Toph said.

"Well, everyone is, I think," Zuko said, placing one upon his own head. Taking a few steps forward, he looked at himself in the mirror on the inside of the closet door, laughing at his own ridiculous appearance. The brown hair clashed with his natural black hair, and it looked like a messily constructed bird's nest atop his head.

"I'm not, really," Toph said, earning a muted apology from her friend. "It's nothing to apologize for. I just never found much use in it," the girl said, shrugging her shoulders as she tried to imagine the face of her friend with a messy piece on his head.

"If these things all look so silly, then I hope I never lose my hair," Zuko said, thinking that it was somehow the duty of old people to wear silly wigs and things.

"I bet you look really goofy in a hair piece," Toph said, laughing at the boy's response as much as the thought of her friend with a bad wig atop his head. The black haired boy found himself shuddering at the thought. He'd have to ask his uncle if there was anything to be done about it.

"Yeah, but not as funny as you," the boy teased propping a second piece atop the girl's head, laughing loudly at the unruly clump of beige hair covering her blackened head. The pair engaged from there in a battle of wig setting, making a thorough mess of the Bei Fong's room.

Before they could manage to clean up, they were interrupted by the sound of the bedroom door clicking open. Zuko never knew anyone could scream so loudly as Toph's father had at that time.

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**I wrote all three of these in pretty much one go over the span of a couple of hours last night, so I apologize if their quality suffers. These kind of things always seem kind of rushed if it's not like 10,000 words or something like that. Anyway, hopefully I can write the other four prompts tonight, and post them for your enjoyment tomorrow. As always, thoughts are well appreciated to tell me how I am doing. Until next time, good readers.**


	4. Day 4 Boat

**Toko Week 3 - Day 4: Boat**

**Rating: K**

**Definitely not my best. This was the hardest prompt to come up with an idea for, so let me know if it turned out not so well. Have the ideas for the others, and I will definitely get them written later today. Hopefully that doesn't make me late. Anyway, enjoy.

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"No way, Sparky," Toph said defiantly, backing away from the lapping tides of the river. The scarred teen a short distance away felt his eyes narrowing in annoyance, his head pounding as his lungs burned to try and gain the oxygen necessary to continue living.

"What are you talking about? They'll be here any minute, so get in the boat," he said, exasperation combining with exhaustion as he focused his eyes on the younger girl. It had been a few years since he had seen her, but trouble still seemed to follow in her wake wherever she went. Turning his head from side to side, he listened for signs of their pursuers, his natural instincts urging him to move from their spot.

"No way. There's no way I'm getting in that thing. I can't stand water," she said defiantly, a subtle hint of fear on her voice as she listened to the quickly flowing currents, her minty green eyes reflecting the choppy surface on their sightless expanses.

"Look, it's your fault we're in this mess. Now get in here," Zuko said again, earning a quick nod of the girl's head. The red robes swayed at her feet as she backed away, her stance going rigid as she essentially drew her line in the sand. The young Fire Lord placed his right palm against his forehead, the patience he had been holding onto nearly disappearing.

"Hey, they're over here! They're trying to get away!" a heavy voice sounded from a small hill some distance to their right. Zuko's golden eyes focused on the small speck in the distance, and he cursed under his breath as he felt his choices quickly disappearing. He knew it would only be a matter of time until the full group found them.

Looking over towards the young earth bender, his jaw nearly dropped as he noticed her drop into a defensive stance, clearly readying herself for a fight. Switching his view from the younger girl to the ever growing group of pursuers, the raven haired young man felt his mind working quickly, trying to find a clever solution to this problem.

As the stampede of feet sounded heavily in his ears, he leapt from the boat, landing a short distance from the blind earth bender. "Sorry, squirt, but we're getting out of here," he said, wrapping his arm around the girl's waist, pulling her light frame easily from the ground. He was vaguely aware of a struggle in his arms as he leapt back onto the boat, letting the smaller girl land in the bottom with a heavy thud.

The first wave of pursuers were approaching, and so Zuko gathered himself. Inhaling deeply, he waved his hand from left to right, producing a wall of flame between himself and the growing mob. Not wanting to chance a fight, the young man pushed off with his full strength, setting the small fishing boat out towards the center of the river. Standing at the rear end of the small vehicle, he focused his energies, gathering a bit of flame in his right hand.

Flames on shore died out, and he focused on charging the small fireball in his hand. As the first soldier stepped into the water, ready to throw his own flame towards the pair of fugitives, Zuko released his control of the flame in hand. Pointing his hand down towards the water, he let the charged wave flow from his hand, pushing the boat quickly along the strong currents.

The group of pursuers quickly disappeared into the horizon, and Zuko collapsed in frustrated exhaustion. His head landed against something soft, and craning his neck a bit, he found himself gazing up into the minty green gaze of his younger friend.

"What are you doing? I could have taken them," Toph challenged, her fingers gripping the edge of the small boat, a distinct uneasiness to her voice as she looked aimlessly around her. Zuko's eyes narrowed as he shifted into a more normal sitting position, black clothed arms hanging loosely from his upturned knees.

"And start an international incident, with an earth bender attacking innocent Fire Nation citizens? I don't think so," Zuko said, earning a click of the tongue from the earth bender. The taller teen's eyes shifted a bit, a look of confusion coming across his face. He had expected her to make some sarcastic remark about the "innocent" Fire Nation, but found no such retort coming.

Toph's ebony locks swayed in the gentle breeze, her chin resting on the edge of the small bundle of carved wood, hands hanging lazily overboard causing her slender fingers to dip into the murky water around them. "I hate boats…" she said, her cheeks puffing a bit as she felt a twinge of sickness coming up.

"So I gathered. I didn't think it was this bad, though," Zuko admitted, a slight hint of concern in his voice as he watched his friend.

"Well, that's why I tend to stick to land. I knew this was a bad idea," she said, causing the young royal to snap back at her.

"What! This was all your idea!" he said, his fingers rubbing at the tense spot on his forehead. Toph really could be just about the most frustrating person he had ever known, save for his sister or Katara on certain occasions.

"No one MADE you come out, Princess," Toph teased, turning her head slightly to fully "look" in the young man's direction. A low growl from him gave her the satisfaction she always sought, a slight smirk taking her mind from the matter at hand.

"How was I supposed to know you were going to get into so much trouble! I mean, attacking a local magistrate? What were you thinking?" he asked, his voice raising in volume as the words spilled from his mouth.

"Hey, he was the one who started it. Nobody cheats me and gets away with it," she shrugged, thinking she was in the right as usual. Definitely a trait that every girl he had ever known had in common.

"Saying he cheated is never going to be the same as a physical attack. If I hadn't intervened and gotten you out of there before you started earth bending, it would have been a lot stickier," Zuko explained, hoping the girl would see it his way.

"Yeah, THANKS a lot, your Highness," she said sarcastically, her foggy green eyes rolling in total dismissal of his worries. Zuko fought his urge to attack the girl, remembering that they were in a small craft, and any small movement might cause them to overturn.

"Whatever. Let's just get away from here and forget anything ever happened," he said, letting his arms drape over the edge of the small vessel as he leaned against the rear, his head falling backwards a bit as he looked up at the afternoon sky.

The two sat in near total silence as the boat lazily floated downstream, guided by naught but the varying currents of the large body of water. Both teens could feel the small ripples lapping at the edge of the boat, rocking it gently from side to side. Occasionally Zuko would hear a *hurk* sound, Toph's skin going more pale than usual as her seasickness got to her.

"Why did you invite me out?" the young man asked, not enjoying the uncomfortable, almost hostile silence. He noticed the girl turn her head towards him again, a touch of green upon her cheeks as she "looked" in his direction.

"What do you mean? Who else was I going to invite?" she asked rhetorically, as though it were the stupidest question anyone had asked her.

"I mean, you can take care of yourself, so why did you need any company?" he asked differently, wondering why she had come all the way to the Capital to seek his company on that particular day. He had known she liked to travel, usually on her own. But he had still been surprised to see the porcelain skinned girl in his audience chamber the day before, taller frame adorned with simple red robes.

"I figured you could use a day away from all the politics and boring stuff like that," she explained, turning away from him. Zuko's lips curled into a soft, teasing kind of smile as he looked at her back. The young girl had certainly grown, where once she had been barely above his waist she now stood just short of his chin.

"How thoughtful of you," he said in genuine appreciation, his shoulders slumping a bit as he pictured his advisors running about, doing Agni knows what in his absence. But despite their little run in that day, it had been a lot of fun the day before.

"Yeah, it is. I'm just too nice," Toph said in her usual arrogant tone, earning a rolling of the eyes from her companion.

"Just do me a favor, okay?"

"Depends on what the favor is," she replied, raising her right eyebrow as she looked towards him.

"No more picking on noblemen. I have to deal with these people, you know?" Zuko asked, an amused tone to his voice. Toph smirked as she reached out, punching the young man on the right shoulder.

"No promises," she replied, snickering at his frustrated sigh. She was going to make the most out of this field trip.

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**Ah, that Toph is always trouble. Next time, blindfolds, popsicles, and bonding over scars. Until then, good readers.**


	5. Day 5 Darkness

**Toko Week 3: Day 5 - Darkness**

**Rating: K+**

**Not sure if this is what the suggested prompt meant, but I tend to go on a different direction with these, as you may have noticed. Anyway, here we get a different training menu between Zuko and Toph, set a few years after the war. Thoughts always welcome, hope you enjoy it.

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"You sure you wanna do this, Sparky?" Zuko listened as the younger girl asked him the same question for the millionth time that afternoon. A challenging smirk came to his lips as he straightened the band of black cloth, folding it over length-wise. Once the band was properly measured, the young Fire Lord brought the item up towards his face, his body instinctively tensing as the Sun disappeared behind the opaque stretch of cloth.

"Look, if you can do it so easily, then of course I can do it," he said, his royal arrogance bubbling to the surface. His nose scrunched just a bit as he heard the girl scoff, her teasing laugh ringing not altogether unpleasantly in his ears. Even five years after the war's end, she seemed to be the only one of the group that never changed. At least on the inside.

"Whatever you say, Sparky," the girl's usual arrogant tone never seemed to change. Anything she said seemed to be an insult aimed in one direction or another. Tightening the piece of cloth tightly around his head, the young man could practically see her teasing smirk even through the encompassing darkness.

"Hey, I've done this a lot better than Sokka or Katara," Zuko reasoned, his head tilting naturally down a bit towards the ground. The sound of chirping birds and rustling leaves seemed to become just a shade more clear, a level more crisp after temporarily losing his sight.

"That's not saying much. They both really rely on their sight, especially Snoozles," Toph admitted, her bare feet thumping gently against the carved stone of the Fire Nation Royal palace's courtyard. Zuko felt his ebony locks tickling the area just beneath the makeshift blindfold, his mind frantically trying to paint a picture for him to follow.

"And I think Aang only managed it because he is technically an earth bender," the young man continued, sliding his feet carefully in front of him. Hesitantly, he made sure that there was no obstruction right at his feet. Once he was satisfied that the ground was level, he settled down into his most natural fighting form, his senses open to whatever might come his way.

"That's another good point. Then how do you explain Suki managing it?" Toph challenged, and again, Zuko could almost hear her superior, teasing tone on each syllable. His body tensed a bit at that thought, and he knew he had no real come back. "That's what I thought. But, you haven't been totally disappointing, either," the shorter girl shot, Zuko's eyes rolling against their cloth binding at the back handed nature of her compliment.

"Whatever. I'll get it this time," he said, trying to maintain his own confident tone of voice against the earth bender's attitude. The scarred teen felt a breeze blow past, brushing his hair back against the rough skin of his scar, the sensation barely registering upon the mangled mass of flesh.

But his nose worked well, and he fought to suppress a subtle shiver at the mixed aromas of the perfume Toph had worn that afternoon and her usual "healthy layer of earth" that seemed always to hang around her slender frame.

"If you say so, Princess," Toph teased, and Zuko's body instinctively tensed up. Years of intense training had instilled in him an almost second nature when it came to fighting. It had probably been what allowed him to even stay alive when undertaking this kind of training with Toph. Thrusting his hands out carefully in front of him, the young royal waited for the blind girl to make her move.

Time seemed to drag on much slower than he was used to, his body anxious for any kind of movement or something to happen around him. His fingers twitched in anticipation, brushing lazily through the wind as it died down. A stray bead of sweat dripped down the young man's left cheek, dropping down from his chin.

The one drop seemed to serve as the unofficial start, as he heard the girl's feet move along the well carved stone. On instinct the young man ducked down, feeling his hair rustle as a large mass of earth flew just above where he had been standing. He heard the girl mutter a bit under her breath, and he found himself smirking for only a moment.

His brief taste of victory dissipated as he felt the subtle shifts in the chi around him. Twisting his body to the side, he felt a pair of boulders move to his front and back, one scraping against his chest through the red shirt he had worn. Spurred on by his small success the young man leapt forward, his mind filling in the space between him and where he guessed the blind girl was, giving him something to go on. His feet landed lightly on the stone with each step, another lesson he had learned after several failures.

The lightness of his steps always seemed to throw Toph off for at least a moment, until she regained control. But he didn't want to let her get that comfortable. Ducking and surging forward, twisting to avoid the occasional boulder, he made his way towards the younger girl. He felt a slightly different atmosphere around them, as though she were being a bit more frantic than was characteristic of her.

Zuko's eyes narrowed as he felt the beginnings of a large wave of rock just beneath him. The first rumblings pushed against the arch of his right foot, and he found himself moving without thinking. Much like Ty Lee might have done, he used the rising earth as something of a springboard, bending his knees just enough to get airborne.

Just as his feet left the ground, he felt the earth rise up, pushing him further into the air, and with an increased speed. His lips curled into a smirk as he sailed through the air, the warm afternoon air whipping at his face. But he knew that overconfidence might get him seriously injured against Toph, and so he prepared for what he would do once he hit the ground.

Upward momentum petered out, and he felt his body reclaimed once again by gravity. Pushing his hands out, he flipped over another large boulder that had been sent his direction, sending the rock down towards the now undoubtedly ruined courtyard. His hair whipping about against his face, the young Fire Lord readied himself, keeping his orientation towards the ground as well as he could in the utter darkness in front of his golden eyes.

The longer the match went on, the more it favored Toph, and so he figured he must end it as quickly as possible. Once he was rooted again on the ground, the young man surged forward, his body leaning forward just enough to dodge a spray of small bullet sized rocks flicked into the air. Closing the small remaining distance, Zuko turned to the left, sending his right leg sweeping along the ground.

His lips curled into another grin as he felt his heel make contact with the girl's ankles, and he knew the match was his. Pulling his leg back towards his body, Zuko kneeled down, his knees on either side of the girl's curved hips. Confident smirk still on his face, he stopped his right fist just at the edge of the heavy breaths he felt from the girl's lips.

"Looks like I got it this time, Toph," he said, feeling the girl trying to struggle beneath him, before collapsing back into the solid courtyard's surface.

"Well, I guess all that practice finally paid off," she said, a tone of pride and something akin to enjoyment on her voice. Having gained his first victory in this form of sparring, Zuko leaned down, planting a soft kiss on the girl's lips.

"I had a good teacher," he said as he broke the kiss. But before he could pull himself into a standing position, he felt the world shift around him, until he was on his back. Behind the black shroud on his eyes, he felt his eyes blink. A teasing snicker sounded in his ears accompanying a soft breath.

"Guess you want your reward, hmm?" she teased, placing one hand on either cheek of the young man now beneath her. Far from arguing, Zuko found himself placing his hands on the girl's waist. Tensing his muscles a bit, he pulled the girl down towards him, his blindfold still keeping him in the darkness.

If she didn't mind any servants stumbling upon them, then why should he?


	6. Day 6 Heat

**Toko Week 3: Day 6 - Heat**

**Rating: T**

**Again, not sure if this was the intended meaning behind the prompt, but it was what came to mind when I saw it. A bit racier than other Toko stories I have done. AU setting, with the characters a few years older. Imagine Zuko roughly 20 years old, and Toph with a similar amount added to her age. Shorter than the rest of these, so let me know how it came out. Enjoy.

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"It's too hot," a young man muttered, alone in the large study. Arms flailed out above his head as he collapsed backwards onto the uncomfortable mesh of the carpet. The gentle humming of his fan served as the only respite from the heat, his air conditioner having chosen the worst possible time to sputter out of service.

Craning his neck, the scarred young man groaned in agony as he gazed at the temperature gauge near the entryway to the large room. The small red streak reached above 110 degrees, and the air around him left no doubt that it was accurate. Each intake of breath was like a chore all its own, the room filled with the subtle hints of sweat mixed with the musty aroma of old books.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he arduously pulled himself into a sitting position, knees folded beneath him as he rested his elbows on the smooth desk's surface. Red fabric seemed to cling to him as he hunched forward a bit, his own body feeling uncomfortable and stifling in the stuffy room.

"I just have to focus on this, and then I can go for a swim," he reasoned to himself, dangling the proverbial carrot in front of himself to serve as motivation. No sister to tease him and ruin his concentration, all his friends had gone away for the vacation, and he found himself stuck with nothing but a paper for his course. The last one he needed for his degree. But one person in particular always managed to find a way to distract him.

As though on cue, he felt the air around him warm up just a twinge more, the door to the study sliding open as the person who had graced his thoughts entered. His entire body tensed as he listened to the lazy, methodical footsteps of the younger girl behind him. His first instinct was to turn around and yell at her to leave him alone, but that wouldn't work either.

His suspicions grew as he heard her slink down a short distance behind him, her slender frame leaning against the bottom edge of his bed. The black haired boy cursed silently, wishing he wasn't such a sucker for her charms. It had long been their relationship that he usually ended up going along with her whims, though he always made a note to complain about it as much as possible. Not that the young aristocrat paid any attention.

The young man made a concerted effort to ignore her, forcing his pen to the paper in an attempt to finish the task at hand before she had a chance to interrupt him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood as he heard a tantalizing, crisp crumpling sound. He could almost SEE the girl's sinister smirk, so similar to his sister's yet entirely different at once.

*schluuurrp*

His body shivered at the sound, his somewhat frustrated mind splitting into two separate thoughts. On one hand, his natural urges filled in the blank image with utterly inappropriate things, not that it would have been the first time. But the second side scolded him, reminding him that the paper was due within a week, and he had barely started.

*schlupp, schluuppp*

Again he shuddered, the air around him feeling even warmer as his body heated up. She always was good at pushing whatever buttons of his she wanted. And anyone else's she decided to, for that matter. He could almost see the soft, teasing black bangs hanging loosely in front of minty green eyes, pink lips shimmering in the afternoon light.

Closing his eyes, the young man took a deep breath, trying to keep his biological urges in check, at least long enough for him to make SOME progress. Under his breath he cursed his professor, giving such a complicated task to his students.

*schlick, slurp*

The air continued to feel heated, and he felt his self control slipping. He found himself thinking of ways to keep cool, each one not involving tedious, boring course work. Stupid college courses. Each stroke of his pen seemed to take more and more energy, and he felt his eyes narrow a bit at the teasing giggle that sounded just a few feet away. The younger girl seldom made such sounds, unless she was teasing him. And she was clearly teasing him at this point.

The red fabric of his shirt seemed even more constricting, his hair matting itself to his forehead as he watched the scratches of ink begin to mark more of the paper in front of him. '_1 page should be enough for today,'_ he reasoned, groaning as he realized he had only filled roughly one quarter of that amount.

*schliiiick* "Oh no, some dripped down my shirt. Whatever am I going to do?" she teased, and he lost it. With a low growl, Zuko turned towards the blind girl, watching the syrupy liquid dripping down her porcelain skin, disappearing down into her forest green shirt.

"Ugh. Fine, let's go swimming," he said in abject defeat, watching as the girl smirked in triumph.

"That's more like it, Sparky," she said, winking suggestively towards him before disappearing into the bathroom across the hall, emerald and gold bikini held firmly in hand. The flowery patterns of gold glittered a bit in the fluorescent lighting. Zuko's black hair swayed insultingly in front of his golden eyes, as though taunting his lack of success dealing with the younger girl.

"How does she do that?" he asked to no one in particular before fishing his crimson and black trunks from his drawer. At least now he had an excuse to get out of the heat. '_Well, one kind of heat anyway,'_ he thought, a small smirk crossing his lips.


	7. Day 7 Scars

**Toko Week 3: Day 7 - Scars**

**Rating: K**

**Another K rated Toko fic to close out Toko week. I know this is probably hella late, but hopefully you all enjoy it nonetheless. This was a bit harder to write a story for than I expected, but I hope it came out alright anyway. Set before The Boiling Rock, at the Western Air Temple. Just some fluffy Toko hints here. Enjoy.

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"Oh come on, it can't be THAT bad," Toph's voice filled the small clearing. The various smaller conversations all died out around the campfire. The soft light glowed against the sand colored tile, illuminating the vines that wrapped and entangled all the pillars of the Western Air Temple. Aang and the rest of the group watched as an obviously annoyed Zuko stormed out from the interior of the temple, Toph following a casual distance behind.

"I told you, it's none of your business," Zuko all but spat, a tone of uncharacteristic pain in his voice as he stalked away from the shorter girl. Aang and his friends looked to one another in confusion, wondering what had happened.

"There's no way to know that until I get to see it, Sparky," the blind earth bender responded, keeping pace easily with the taller boy. Smatterings of black and crimson shuffled away just as quickly as they had appeared, disappearing behind the small shrubs that had found residence in the one time home of the Air Nomads.

"And I keep telling you, that it has nothing to do with you. Just leave it alone," Zuko's aggravated voice echoed across the clearing, ringing clearly with his usual temperament. The sound of his voice gradually faded, leaving in its place the subtle pattering of Toph's bare feet against the cold stone, before it too dissipated into the thin air of the temple.

"What was that all about?" Sokka asked to the group around the fire, earning a series of shrugs and looks of equal confusion.

"I don't know, but it seemed pretty interesting," Aang said, putting his mind to work trying to think what would irritate Zuko and interest Toph at the same time.

"Maybe she just wants to "see" his scar?" Haru suggested, earning a few stares of wide-eyed surprise. It never occurred to them that Toph had never really seen the mass of scarred skin before, but neither did it seem like the type of thing she would really care about.

"Wait. Doesn't she see with her earth bending? So hasn't she seen it already?" Sokka said, adding to the collective confusion of the group. A series of quizzical looks were exchanged, before Katara came back with the meal for the evening, drawing all attention away from Zuko being chased by the little blind girl.

"Come back here, Sparky," Toph said, picking up her paces as Zuko quickly padded through the thicket of vines and bushes. Casting a look backwards, he wondered how she managed to get around quite so nimbly. Where he seemed to be smacking into every vine in his haste, she took each step with a certain foot. It had been vaguely explained to him that she somewhat "saw" using her earth bending, but he wondered if that was what allowed her to move so easily.

"Just leave me alone," he said, his voice strained from the constant movement he had been put under over the previous few hours. It had started innocuously enough, Toph suggesting a mild spar. Ostensibly, it had been partially to make up for his burning her feet, but it had turned into a full scale battle, which he had not been prepared for.

Then as he had been trying to regain his composure, the subject of his scar had come up. His natural instinct was to get very defensive, retreating into his shell and putting on a vicious exterior in hopes of getting her to drop the subject. But no such luck, as she had seemingly taken it as a challenge.

Zuko's feet came to a stop as he found himself faced with the seemingly bottomless crevice beyond the temple grounds. A swish of dirt behind him alerted him to the presence of the little earth bender. The young man groaned inwardly, his face falling as he turned towards the girl.

"Nowhere to run now, Princess," she said triumphantly.

"So it would seem," he lamented, cursing his bad decision of moving towards this end of the temple instead of further towards the jungle. With a sigh of defeat he dropped into a sitting position, watching the swirl of white clouds beneath him. Black hair swayed in the thin breeze, brushing against his face as he watched the world beneath him, his feet dangling idly over the edge.

Fully expecting the girl to just rush up and touch his scar, he was surprised as she took a seat to his left, her arm just brushing against his as she too dangled her feet over the edge. He wondered to himself if it was just another part of her plan, to catch him off guard to take a "look" at his scar.

"I guess it must be pretty bad, for you to get so defensive over it," she said, flopping back against the somewhat solid soil behind them. The branches of a tree overhead rustled as an updraft blew from within the ravine. The young Prince sighed in relief as he felt his crimson tunic fluttering a bit in the cool breeze.

"It's not that it's bad, necessarily. It's just… that it brings up some bad memories," he said, noticing himself the sadness that crept into his tone as the spoke. He watched as the girl turned her head towards him, her hands folded beneath the large bun she always wore her hair in.

"I kind of got that. Look, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I didn't know you'd get so upset about it, Sparks," Toph said, causing Zuko to smile a bit. He figured that was just her way of apologizing, and so he accepted it.

"It's alright. We all have scars, some of them are just more painful to bare than others," he admitted, taking in a deep breath of the thin, cool air. For a moment, things were perfect. Neither bender spoke a word, instead just letting the moment wash over them. The subtle sounds of nature filled their senses, overshadowing his discomfort about his scar.

"Well, I guess that's true. We do all have scars. Just as long as you don't act like a baby over it, and let it control you," the girl said simply, dusting herself off as she brought herself into a standing position. "I think mother Katara is going to get worried if I don't get back, so I'll see you later," she said, waving back towards Zuko as she headed back towards the temple.

As he listened to the crunch of leaves and dirt beneath the girl's bare feet, Zuko sighed deeply. "Wait," he said, causing the girl to stop. Coming to his feet, he brushed the dirt off of his blood red pants, watching the specks fall back to the ground.

"What, more moping?" Toph teased, feeling the young man close the distance between them. The girl's mint green eyes widened a bit as she felt her right hand engulfed in his warm grip, his fingers gently gripping hers. Slowly she felt her hand being lifted towards where his face was, and she felt her heart begin to beat just a bit faster.

"No. You're right. It's not good to let a mark define you. And I guess if it'll get you to let it go, then go ahead and take a look," Zuko said simply, wincing a bit out of habit as he felt the calloused fingers of the young earth bender work their way around the puffy expanse of flesh. He watched her face, waiting for the usual reaction of horror or disgust, but found neither.

Her hand felt unbelievably soft on his face, reminding him of his one time girlfriend, Mai. He didn't want the soft touch to end. But just as he had grown accustomed to the odd softness of the girl's hand, she removed it slowly, letting just the tips of her fingers linger against the calloused skin on the left side of his face.

"Hmm. Like I thought, it wasn't that bad. You worry too much, Zuko," she said, waving dismissively before heading back to camp. Zuko was left to ponder what had happened. As she turned away, he could have sworn he had seen a faint blush on her cheeks. But that couldn't be. Totally not something Toph would do.

Once she had disappeared into the jungle, the young Royal found a strange thought wandering around in his head. His brows furrowed a bit as he considered it, his mind turning the facts over again and again to come to a conclusion.

"Wait. Doesn't she "see" with earth bending? Then why did she…" he pondered, dismissing the most obvious solution.

After all, tough little earth benders didn't get crushes.

* * *

**And so that brings Toko week to a close for me. Hope you all enjoyed reading these one shots, as I ended up having quite a bit of fun writing them. Toko is a really fun, cute pairing, so I will definitely write some more in the future. Next for me will be a Ty Lee-centric sequel to 'Sweet Cup of Jin' leading into a third story, which involves a goofy little love triangle. Hope that goes alright, before I jump back into 'Where the Heart Is'. Until next time, good readers.**


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